Big City Logistics: Businesses are exploring new ways to achieve sustainability

The logistics market is undergoing a large-scale transformation, which is influenced by several factors at once, including rising fuel costs and new regulatory requirements for cargo escort. Meanwhile, logistics costs for businesses, and primarily for food retail, are proving to be really significant. Where to look for non—obvious growth points and opportunities to strengthen business sustainability is in the Izvestia article.

Transportation difficulties

Today, logistics costs in retail can reach 10-15% of the company's turnover, while the costs associated with delivery and storage continue to grow under the influence of various factors, both economic and regulatory. For example, last year alone, the cost of fuel for freight transport increased by an average of 7-11%. By the beginning of 2026, diesel has already risen in price to 77 rubles per liter or more, and by the end of the year it is expected that growth may reach up to 13%.

In addition, the new forwarding law may significantly affect the growth of internal costs associated with the transportation of goods. According to the new requirements, the forwarder must monitor the composition of the accepted cargo to identify items that have been withdrawn from circulation. On the one hand, this may lead to an increase in the acceptance period of goods, on the other — additional costs for the purchase of weighing equipment, inspection tools and introscopes.

According to analysts, the combination of these factors may lead to the fact that the cost of transportation will increase by 12% this year, and together with inflation, the increase in freight rates may reach 15-18%. Of course, such adjustments will inevitably affect the final cost of goods for the end user. At the same time, retailers are also under pressure from declining purchasing power and the need to maintain at least a minimum margin for development and scaling. Taking into account the growing internal costs, this motivates businesses to look for non—obvious ways to optimize processes, and ultimately to invest in price control and maintaining the availability of goods.

Non-obvious solutions

Head of the Department of Logistics and Entrepreneurship at the Russian University of Economics. Plekhanova Dmitry Zavyalov says that with this formulation of the issue, the effectiveness of operations comes to the fore. And it is in this context that the question "how exactly is transportation carried out" becomes vital. For some companies, the solutions may be simpler, for example, the discounter "B1" switched to polymer semi-pallets, which, firstly, allow for more densely packed machines and do not pay for "air transportation". Secondly, they are suitable for displaying products in a complete form in sales halls, which means a reduction in labor costs. According to the estimates of the discounter, only the revision of containers for transportation can save up to 3 million rubles per month.

Other companies, in his opinion, need more comprehensive solutions. An unobvious technique that allows a business to effectively reduce costs in the long run is the transfer of cargo transportation to reusable containers. According to Spherical Insights & Consulting, the global market for returnable packaging will grow to $178 billion by 2032, with an average annual growth rate of 6.9%. At the same time, it can be used in various sectors of the economy. About 30% of the total global volume of returnable containers is involved in logistics schemes for the turnover of consumer goods, 23% in trade in other goods, and 25% in the industrial sector.

Dmitry Zavyalov is confident that the main advantage of reusable containers lies in long-term economic efficiency due to increased service life, fewer replacements and disposal, and the possibility of complete recycling (for example, for polymer containers). Another important factor is the increased safety of transported products, the ability to transport more in one route due to the lightness of the packaging itself, as well as savings on fuel and lubricants.

In addition, polymer containers are suitable for virtually any automated system, which increases its attractiveness due to the growing shortage of personnel in the field of logistics and retail. Since 2024, about 90% of companies face a shortage of line staff, primarily employees of distribution centers. Thus, automation of processes based on reusable polymer containers will help to overcome the shortage of human resources.

According to experts, the transition to reusable polymer containers allows for a combination of factors to achieve sustainable savings of up to 25% of total logistics costs, and the company does not invest in containers through a pullingoperator, but only has to adjust its business processes to this. In fact, this significantly increases the efficiency of operations and gives additional room for maneuver when it comes to the need to restrain prices under the pressure of declining demand.

Correct calculation

Experts' calculations show that the transfer of 70% of shipments to the use of polymer containers will allow businesses to save up to 400 million rubles a year in this area. This is achieved primarily due to the survivability of the material: containers can withstand several dozen cycles of use, while wooden pallets require disposal and replacement or repair after 10 turns. Losses are also reduced: polymer containers are not susceptible to mold formation, which can harm products, and do not contain nails or other elements. In addition, unlike cardboard boxes, polymer boxes can reduce product damage by 96%.

The trend towards the use of multi—turn packaging is also being recorded abroad - according to data for 2023, its share was 9.7% of the total international packaging market. In Russia, where this indicator is much lower, the trend will only gain momentum in the coming years. As analysts emphasize, companies that quickly realize the need for transition will retain leadership in their segments due to flexibility and competent work with their own efficiency.